All posts in Auto Design

The Volkswagen Disgrace and What it Means for In-Car DUI Breath Evaluation Machines

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/11/23 in Auto Design with Comments Off

The Volkswagen emissions testing scandal is explosive, and the big bang continues to expand. The largest automobile manufacturer in the world admitted that millions of cars that it sold contained a software emissions test cheating "defeat device."

What’s the Defeat Device?

The "defeat device" detects when the Volkswagen automobiles are being emissions tested. When the device senses that the cars are being tested, the cars’ engines switch over to a different emissions testing mode. They undetectably run below ordinary power and performance to defeat emissions testing equipment. When they return to the road, the engines switch over to regular performance, and emissions are anywhere between 10 and 40 times higher than the EPA allows in the United States.

The Recall and Criminal Investigations

About 480,000 Volkswagen autos have been recalled in the United States. As the explosion expands, millions of Volkswagens are being recalled internationally. The recalls are financially devastating for Volkswagen. Both the U.S. Department of Justice and German federal prosecutors have launched criminal investigations.

In-Car Breath Evaluation Machines

These machines test a person’s blood alcohol content both before they can start a motor vehicle and while they’re driving it too. They’re usually used in the vehicles of people who have been convicted of drunk driving. They’re commonly known as ignition interlock devices, and they serve as ongoing criminal investigators while a person convicted of DUI is on supervision or probation. Not only do the devices shut down a vehicle’s ignition system if it detects any amount of alcohol purportedly on the driver’s breath, but it records the alleged blood alcohol content of the driver each and every time that they blow into the device.

False Positives

A common condition of supervision or probation of a convicted DUI offender is that they’re not permitted to consume any alcoholic beverages during their term. A false positive can put a person in jail. The facilities that install these devices are charged with pulling the information from them, but according to Sessions Law Firm, the convicted DUI offender isn’t permitted to inquire into the software that might be behind a false positive. If and when the machines might be tested, they too could be capable of defaulting back into a completely inaccurate test mode. Defense lawyers have raised the software issue on blood alcohol testing equipment, but courts have consistently held that manufacturers aren’t required to disclose how their machines work because of software copyright protection.

The public needs to know whether these in-car breath evaluation machines are working properly. There’s no control whatsoever over the software installed in these machines. We don’t even know what the software is because of copyright protection. In the interim, innocent people are going to jail because they’re not given a fair chance to learn exactly how these machines operate. Somebody is doing their best to legally withhold evidence.

Car Tech in 2015: Exciting Advancements to Look for This Year

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/02/16 in Auto Design with Comments Off

Not only has technology improved how we communicate and interact with each other but it has also improved the actual driving experience. There was once a time where the only features in a car were air-conditioning and a radio, but now there are an abundance of technological advancements that make a car more enjoyable to drive. While it may take time for the world to warm up to, car technology is taking over the automobile world. Here is a look at some of 2015’s best car technologies to get excited for this year:

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Smartphones have become important in how we choose to live our everyday lives and now it will become an integrated element in how we drive our cars. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will lead the way. By connecting a USB cord from your phone to your car, and the click of one button, Apple or Android interface will appear on the car’s touch screen. This innovative technology allows drivers to talk on their phone, text, get directions and play music from their phone without it being in their hand.

Further Development of Self Driving Cars

While the concept of a self-driving car is relatively new, it has gained a lot of traction in the last year, and will gain even more in 2015. At the 2015 Consumer Electronic Show, an Audi A7 Piloted Concept was driven 560 miles from San Francisco to Las Vegas as a test drive. Seeing that it held up, more cars will begin to reveal their renditions of self-driving cars and jump on this exciting bandwagon..

Gesture Control

The ability to control something without touching it could come in handy, especially while driving. It actually eliminates the act of taking your eyes off the road and relying on your ability to remember where things are. Gesture control technology will enable you to turn up the volume, or turn down the heat by simply raising your hand, and control basic features without taking your eyes off the road.

Lane Change Assistance

This technology isn’t brand new, however, developments continue to improve lane keeping features to help drivers stay safe. While most users probably won’t find this as “sexy” as self-driving cars, it is definitely cutting edge and useful. Each year, there are plenty of lane changing accidents and this technology is here to eliminate some of it by examining the traffic and giving proper signals when it is ok to change lanes.

Wi-Fi Capabilities

2014 already marked the start for cars equipped with Wi-Fi, but that mostly only featured high class cars like Audi, Mercedes and BMW. In 2015, GM will take a crack at installing Wi-Fi in their latest modeled cars. OnStar will provide the Wi-Fi services through a subscription plan that will require users to pay for it after so long.

These technologies will change the way cars are driven in the new year. The technology we use in our everyday lives are intertwined with how we use transportation, and this integration will only continue as technology advances.

The information for this article was provided by the professionals at the Speedy Apollo Auto Service Centres who provide oil change services in Calgary.

Skeptics Abound: A Look at Why Self Driving Cars Could be Potentially Dangerous

by Carsurfer Admin on 2015/01/09 in Auto Design with Comments Off

According to Google, the driverless car will reduce the number of car accidents experienced yearly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the number of fatal crashes as well as how many can be blamed on excessive speed, inattention and alcohol is in the thousands annually. Based on the data, it would seem that Google is providing a very useful answer to address the problem of excessive crashes due to driver inexperience, inattention at the wheel and drowsy driving.

However, as with any new technology that pops up, there are skeptics who worry about the potential dangers that self-driving cars can present. Driverless vehicles will create new problems and could be potentially more dangerous than distracted driving. Read on to learn why self-driving cars could be potentially dangerous, and the details that are worrying current skeptics:

Malfunctions

When a vehicle malfunctions, you reduce speed and pull over to the side of the road quickly. In a driverless vehicle, a malfunction could catch the driver unaware. Supporters of the driverless vehicle have remarked that people could sleep on the way to work while the car does the driving. If there’s a malfunction and the driver is sleeping, there’s no way to quickly correct a malfunction or avoid an accident.

Roadway Disasters

The latest technology in the Google self-driving car will scan the roadway ahead for pedestrians and obstructions in the street, but the driverless vehicle won’t be able to make logical judgments of right and wrong. If you’re driving and a squirrel hops into the way, you can decide whether it’s more dangerous to keep going or swerve into the next lane to avoid the squirrel. The computer in the vehicle will not be able to make that judgment call.

According to professionals at the Ladah Law firm, these vehicles will also pose the problem of determining who is at fault during an accident. If the car is technically the driver, this could present some serious insurance issues in the future.

Hackers

The Google Driverless car utilizes computerized mapping, radar and cameras to operate the vehicle safely. There’s a computer on the vehicle, which leaves it open to hackers. New self-driving vehicles are being manufactured without steering wheels and pedals. This could make them dangerous since the driver has no way to take over for the computer if and when there is a hacker driving the car dangerously.

Criminals

If the self driving vehicle doesn’t need an operator, then the car can be used in criminal enterprise. In a recent FBI report, that factor was raised as a valid concern. For example, without the need for a driver, the car could be used to deliver bombs remotely. The FBI is also worried about the ability of criminals to multi-task while riding in a self-driving vehicle. Criminals will be able to shoot more accurately at the police or other drivers when the car is driving on its own.

It is important to keep in mind that these cars are still being heavily tested, and many of the bugs will be worked out before the vehicles actually hit the market. Many features are still in development, so some skeptics are jumping the gun by saying that driverless cars will be dangerous.

These concerns are valid, however, we will have to wait to see how the vehicles develop since many of these issues might be resolved by that time. While Google wants to focus on the pluses delivered by a self-driving vehicle, there are definitely minuses that need to be addressed before we’ll see more driverless vehicles introduced to the public.

Safe and Sound – Exciting New Vehicle Safety Features Coming in 2015

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/12/22 in Auto Design with Comments Off

Exciting new technology abounds in the world of automotive safety, and if you’re buying a new car in 2015, it could save your life. ‘Passive’ safety technology – engineering that mitigates potential injury in an accident – is always essential, but new, ‘active’ systems are now working to prevent collisions from even occurring. Here’s a look at four of the best car safety features coming up in 2015.

Lane Keeping Assist

Lane departure warnings aren’t new in 2015, but they’re quickly improving and fast becoming an industry standard in safety technology. In these systems, a camera (or multiple cameras) keep virtual eyes on the lines of the lanes on the road. If the onboard computer perceives a potentially dangerous drift, the driver receives a warning. The warning begins in the form of an audible noise, a simulated ‘rumble’ in the steering wheel, or both. In the latest versions, that warning is followed by an automated correction – the car keeps itself in the lane. As described in this article by Motor Review, these systems vary in their techniques, and only a few get real style points, but we can all think of a time when we wish the car next to us had one.

Forward Collision Mitigation

Just like lane keeping assist, forward collision mitigation systems track the situation outside of the car and can progress to taking matters into their own ‘hands.’ They, too, use front-mounted cameras or similar radar systems to detect the presence of cars ahead, keeping a close virtual eye on their distance.
When the systems deem that the distance between you and the car ahead is closing too quickly, they’ll move through increasingly urgent warnings. In the latest systems, they’ll (subtly) begin the breaking process for you, and if you don’t react in time, apply break pressure to stop the car (or at least to reduce the force of the impact).

Adaptive Cruise Control

Cruise control used to be a slightly awkward combination of automatic throttling and coasting, but that’s simply no longer the case. Working with both of the technologies described above, adaptive cruise control does exactly what its name implies, making it safer than ever to take your foot off the pedal.
Adaptive cruise control technology works much like forward collision mitigation. As described in this ExtremeTech article, the car uses a radar system to monitor and control its position in traffic, smoothly adjusting its speed based on the driver’s preferred maximum speed and safe driving distance. This means, finally, an end to fiddling with the cruise control wand whilst trying to maintain the precise speed of the car ahead.

Blind-Spot Detection & Monitoring

It’s all too easy to find yourself stuck in the blind spot of the car next to you, and just as easy to miss the car stuck in yours. Blind spot monitoring now comes in a couple of flavors, with the most common systems using a simple sensor system to flash a warning light when a car is present in your blind spot.
The newest models, though, now come equipped with advanced systems like Honda’s Side Minder blind spot ‘eraser’ that provide the driver with live video of the blind spot when the turn signal is activated. As systems like these find their way into more new vehicles, they’ll undoubtedly go on to turn everyday "close calls" into easily avoided non-events.

As with most new automotive technology, many of the systems described here have been available in high-end models well before the 2015 model year. This year, though, anyone buying a new car will likely enjoy any or all of these systems in at least their most basic forms. As time goes on and security standards advance with the technology they represent, this trend will only continue to save lives.

The information for this article was provided by the legal professionals of Howard Yegendorf & Associates, who are motor vehicle accident lawyers in Ottawa.

The Five Most Futuristic Cars on the Market Right Now

by Carsurfer Admin on 2014/05/05 in Auto Design with Comments Off

You probably grew up seeing futuristic cars in the movies, and you probably hoped that you would one day be driving one of those cars. While flying cars may not be available there are still plenty of futuristic options you can start driving. Here are a few cars that you should check out if that is the kind of car you are looking for.

McLaren MP4-12C

This vehicle can be purchased at select dealers and is available as a rental car for high-end business clients. TopGear reports that the MP4-12C tops out at a max speed of 205 mph and can accelerate from rest to 62 mph in a little over 3 seconds. Despite being an elite vehicle, its reported mpg is surprisingly mediocre: 15/22 for city/highway driving.

Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

These vehicles are priced at slightly over $500,000 depending on mileage and the local market. Like the McLaren MP4-12C, it is not renowned for efficiency, clocking in only 11/19 city/highway MPG. If you can pay for that kind of millage you will get a very sleek looking car.

Aptera 2e

The “Aptera” class of vehicles was first developed by Aptera Motors. A few years ago, that business formally failed. However, the vehicle design went on and is now under further development by Zap Jonway. Despite its obvious function as a car, there is some legal ambiguity over the Aptera’s classification as a “car” because it has only one wheel in the back. This has consequences for safety and emission standards. Available for roughly $30,000-$40,000, the Aptera gets approximately 200 mpg. That’s right, 200 miles per gallon.

Terrafugia Transition

Finally, a flying car. Aside from the approximately $300,000 price tag, the Terrafugia Transition requires several licenses and certifications to operate. The vehicle’s legal future and market appeal is also very unclear. As Popular Mechanics outlines, a vehicle that is roadworthy and airworthy simply requires different design priorities. Currently it seems that improvement in flying performance will almost certainly come at the expense of important driving variables, and vice versa.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

This small personal transport is designed to run efficiently on an electric engine, vastly reducing dependence on petroleum. Though great for urban transport and short commutes, the U.S. version of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV has a limited range of approximately 62 miles. This means an effective maximum radius of 31 miles from a given charging station. Though it has much appeal for city driving, this car will have trouble competing without comparable infrastructure that supports electric cars as gas stations support petroleum-fueled cars.

So start living in the future and get one of these awesome cars as your next mode of transportation.

Author Bio: Annette is a freelance writer that suggests using Fastlane Window Tint after getting a new car. Annette often writes about finances and ways to save money.